1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates in general to the field of information handling system media labeling, and more particularly to a system and method for optical disc media labeling based on disc type.
2. Description of the Related Art
As the value and use of information continues to increase, individuals and businesses seek additional ways to process and store information. One option available to users is information handling systems. An information handling system generally processes, compiles, stores, and/or communicates information or data for business, personal, or other purposes thereby allowing users to take advantage of the value of the information. Because technology and information handling needs and requirements vary between different users or applications, information handling systems may also vary regarding what information is handled, how the information is handled, how much information is processed, stored, or communicated, and how quickly and efficiently the information may be processed, stored, or communicated. The variations in information handling systems allow for information handling systems to be general or configured for a specific user or specific use such as financial transaction processing, airline reservations, enterprise data storage, or global communications. In addition, information handling systems may include a variety of hardware and software components that may be configured to process, store, and communicate information and may include one or more computer systems, data storage systems, and networking systems.
Information handling systems often interact through internal or external peripherals to store information on portable media, such as optical discs. Optical disc storage media are available in a variety of types including CD-R, CD-RW, DVD+R, DVD+RW, DVD-R, DVD-RW, and DVD-RAM, with each media having data written by a laser applying a format associated with the media type. Typically, information handling system users will purchase optical media in mass quantities that come on spindles. Although a spindle of optical discs provides a user with a substantial storage capacity, each optical disc on a spindle is generally identical in appearance so that users often have difficulty distinguishing discs from each other after data is stored. A common solution has been to write a label on the disc itself with a non-erasable ink marker. However, recently introduced optical disc labeling methods offer an automated alternative by using the laser to write a label on the non-storage side of a disc. The non-storage side of a disc is treated with a special chemical coating that changes its appearance upon application of a laser to support writing of visually readable labels. Typically, after a user records information on the data storage side of a disc, the user flips the disc over to expose the labeling coating of the non-storage side to the laser and reinserts the disc into the drive for the label to be written with the same drive's optical system.
One difficulty that arises with optical disc labeling is that each laser writes on each disc with a specific set of parameters. Optical disc type identification information embedded on the storage side of each disc is accessed upon initial insertion of a disc so that the optical drive identifies the inserted disc and selects appropriated parameters for writing information. However, once the optical disc is flipped over to write the label on the non-storage side, there is no direct way to read the identification information embedded on the storage side. In some circumstances, disc labeling is undesirable, such as where a disc does not support labeling or a disc is not authorized to use labeling technology. As an example, if a user creates a label for writing on the non-storage side of an optical disc but the drive fails to write the label, the user may believe the drive inoperative, resulting in service calls to the manufacturer of the information handling system. As another example, a user may attempt to create labels before inserting the disc to write data so that the optical drive is unable to determine the type of optical disc involved. Generally, optical drives determine the type of optical disc by reading specific information embedded in the optical disc's data storage side. Often, a bar code circumferentially aligned at the inner diameter of the disc is used to include a unique identifier, such as a serial number, for identifying the disc. The bar code is relatively large in size and ink-written on the transparent outer coating of the optical disc on either the storage side or label side of the disc. The optical drive's pick-up reads the bar code, either directly if on the storage side or through the transparent coating if on the label side, to determine the disc's unique identity and other information such as the type of disc. The optical drive then determines more precise parameters of the disc read from the information embedded in the data storage portion of the optical disc.